


The Forgotten Hero

by Uthizaar



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Anger, Fast Cars, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Post Season 3, Regret, Spoilers, power, roy's pov
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 04:38:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5361656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uthizaar/pseuds/Uthizaar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set a few months after Roy leaves Starling City, having taken the fall for being the Green Arrow and faking the hero's death, Arsenal returns, full of fury and questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Forgotten Hero

Roy Harper couldn’t let it go, couldn’t stop thinking about them, about him, about the choices he made on that night. It was a choice he made freely, but still it gnawed at him in the small hours of the night. He had been the Arrow for so short a period, and yet looking at his faded red costume-the spare-in the closet, he felt a surge of anger overwhelm him. The old rage, the disenfranchised fire that boiled in his stomach, the sort of thing that used to drive him to rob and steal, just because he could. It was never really about the money, he just wanted to feel more powerful than he was, than the way his father had tried to break him down, than the way the teachers had written his life off. And then he became the Red Arrow, then Arsenal, then finally, just for a moment; the Green Arrow. The rush he had felt being in that circle of lights, seeing the cops surround him, guns drawn and fear written across their faces...Glorious. He grinned at the memory now, a cruel smile curling his lips as he pumped the accelerator, feeling the surge in speed push him back into the seat, glancing down to see the needle spike higher towards a hundred and twenty. Yes, in that moment he was the most powerful person in the city, and then it was gone. Snatched away. He was back to being the sidekick, no, worse than that; he was no one now. 

Roy hadn’t heard from Oliver in months. At first the archer had called him every few days, texted him each evening, then it grew less, then it stopped altogether. Maybe Roy should’ve called him instead, but he didn’t want to look like he was in a weak position, as if he _needed_ Oliver. 'Because I don’t!' He thought to himself as he viciously swerved around a corner, tires burning, not even slowing down as the other car blared at him. He grinned again, teeth showing, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins. That’s what he missed the most; oh sure, Oliver and him…well, it was complicated. The older man had always made it complicated, never easy, never able to just give in to his emotions. But Roy was done making all the effort with him. And this wasn’t about Oliver, wasn’t about Oliver not calling him, or even any of the others not keeping him informed like they said they would. No, this was…different. 

Roy frowned to himself; the words sounded hollow to him and looking at the road, he grimaced in distaste. A hatchback up ahead had slowed to a crawl, without looking too carefully, he shifted down a gear and revved the engine higher as he swung out onto the oncoming lane. The car surged forward, the after-market mods he added turning it into a monster that made his grin stretch wider. He sped past the hatchback and the stressed looking soccer-mom inside it, but then he cursed aloud on seeing the highway patrol car hidden in front of it. 

‘Fuck!’ 

But instead of slowing down, he just glanced sideways and gave the startled officer a cheeky grin. Shifting gear again, Roy reached under the steering column and pressed the button for his new NOS injection system. The engine roared louder and he watched the needle spike higher again, he quickly twiddled the nob of the radio upwards and checked the mirror. The cop had flicked his lights on and the siren was a faint sound under the throbbing bass that pounding from his speakers. Roy swung back into the correct lane and raced on down the interstate. He checked the mirrors again as the NOS burned off and saw no sign of the highway patrol car. ‘Suckers.’ He smirked immaturely and overtook another slow driver.

 

The bright lights of the city could be seen ahead of him in the early winter evening. He glanced at the sign on the way in and then looked across to the business district from the hilly approach. It was the right time to be driving in; quiet enough that he wasn’t sitting in traffic and still busy enough to catch the way people turned to look at his car as he drove past. Roy lingered momentarily at the entrance to the old neighbourhood, before changing his mind and driving on. Stopping there would be too obvious, too predictable, and he didn’t know what Oliver or Felicity might have done to his house in the time he was gone: just in case he returned. And he didn’t want them to know, not yet anyway. He wanted to see if the Green Arrow had arisen from the dead, if Oliver had put the hood back on. Roy couldn’t imagine the archer could live without wearing a disguise, hell he always had one when they were together. He smirked at that and pulled back into the stream of traffic heading towards the docks. Reaching over he swiped the icon on his phone.

‘It’s me. Did you get it sorted?’

‘Yeah, of course, Arsenal. But-‘

‘So it’s all there?’ Roy interrupted the other man. ‘All of it?’

‘Yeah. I got everything set up, even the…’ There was a pause on the other end, then, ‘Even the materials from, uh, your contact. Look, I don’t know what the hell you’re up to man-‘

‘You don’t need to know.’ Roy cut him off again. ‘But thanks.’

‘So, we’re, uh, even, now? Right?’

Roy sneered at the nervous stutter. ‘Yeah, as long as you keep your mouth shut, your boss won’t know what you’re doing with his daughter.’

‘Uh, sure, yea-‘

Roy cut the call and smirked to himself; those contacts in the underworld still had their uses, well that and not letting Arsenal get tied down by Oliver’s _code_. But honestly, where did he think all those leads had come from? He pulled off the road and towards the industrial warehouses by the pier. The engine slowed to a low growl and he pulled into an open lot, the rundown offices in front of him all dark save one. He cruised right up to the metal wall of the lit building and flashed his lights twice. There was a shudder and then the corrugated iron wall slowly rolled upwards. Roy eased the car into the narrow opening and the space beyond was larger than he had expected, allowing him to turn the car, facing outwards. Switching the engine off, he stepped out of the car.

 

Roy nodded at the criminal and jerked his head towards the door, letting the man leave without another word. He quickly looked over the rooms and hummed in satisfaction; not much; bedroom doubling as the office, bathroom and a small unused kitchen. It looked exactly like he imagined a safe-house would be, but that didn’t matter, just another favour owed and debt released. Roy turned his attention to the hardware laid out on the tables in front of him. The criminal and the cop had got him everything he needed, even if they didn’t know they were both supplying him. He ran his hands over the smooth barrels of the guns and ammo clips, they were for later; if things got too heavy, in case he needed the edge operating solo. Then there were the laptops; three, about two dozen phones and a pile of SIM cards, the surveillance gear liberated from the cops' storage locker-SCPD still stamped on the sides- a laser microphone, interesting. He turned to the last table, the important one. Having brought his own bow with him, he didn’t need another, but the row of shiny silver darts was welcome, as were the quivers of arrows. Oliver hadn’t exactly sent him off with a full supply pack…

Roy lingered at the final item; ballistic fibre and enough ceramic plates to turn him into a clinking toy soldier. He frowned, angry, but then his face smoothed out as he shifted the stack of body armour. ‘Sweet! Your secret’s forever safe with me, Officer Howard.’ Roy grinned and picked up the soft flexible material. ‘I didn’t think you’d actually get this…’ He saw a note fall out and picked up, his smile getting larger as he read it.

_Alright, “Arsenal” I pulled out a major favour for you on this one. My buddy in Star Labs owed me big time. So we better be done!_

‘Oh I think you’ve given me exactly what I need, Officer Howard.’ He crumpled the paper into a ball and picked up a lighter to burn the note. Looking down at the supplies, Roy grinned. ‘Alright, Arsenal, let’s get to work.’


End file.
